The Long Defeat

&#8220;. . .and together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.&#8221;&#8212; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring<br/><br/>The memory of magic e&#8217;er resistssimplicity, and honesty insistson painful truth. Though sugary sweet,the lies would have you fall, admit defeat,surrendering the light that burns withinand letting nightmares burrow into skin.<br/><br/>It&#8217;s better, darling; see the burning lightand don your armor, fight the bitter fight.And though you are accustomed e&#8217;er t o lose,the magic is the moment when you chooseto lift your arms and face the endless war,defiant &#8212; though the fighting is a chore.<br/><br/>And, yes, the world shall kill you in the end.You must stay strong, determined not to bend.<br/><br/>#<br/><br/>n.b.&#8212;Just in the last week, I&#8217;ve started a new poetry instagram. It&#8217;s currently home to my older poetry (as opposed to the brand-new stuff that I release here.) &#8212; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zjpoetics/">https://www.instagram.com/zjpoetics/</a> <br/><br/>Get full access to Sonnets &c. at <a href="https://zjppoetry.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast">zjppoetry.substack.com/subscribe</a>